CALGARY, Alta. – Rob Blake, general manager of Canada’s National Men’s Team, announced Thursday, in collaboration with Hockey Canada, a first group of 20 players for the 2014 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, which will be held May 9-25, 2014 in Minsk, Belarus.

Blake is working with a management group comprised of Ron Hextall (Brandon, Man./Philadelphia, NHL), Brad Treliving (Penticton, B.C./Phoenix, NHL) and Hockey Canada’s vice-president of hockey operations Brad Pascall (Coquitlam, B.C.). The management group has been monitoring the final weeks of the NHL regular season, and scouting players that are available to represent Canada at the world championship.

“We are excited about the first group of players that have committed to representing Canada at the world championship,” said Blake. “We have a good mix of experience and youth at both the professional and international level.”

Fifteen of the 20 players named by Hockey Canada have previous international experience, with five players (Burrows, Chimera, Methot, Myers, Reimer) who represented Canada at previous IIHF World Championships. Chimera won gold at the 2007 IIHF World Championship in Moscow, Russia. (NOTE: Turris also skated as an alternate player with Canada at the 2008 IIHF World Championship). Kevin Bieksa, Troy Brouwer, Jason Garrison, Ben Scrivens and Joel Ward will be representing Canada on the international stage for the first time.